Yes, this was the Nets first preseason game. It was also the first time that Williams would share a basketball court with Joe Johnson. And most notably, it was the first basketball game in Brooklyn Nets franchise history.

Even still, the Nets looked nothing like a basketball team that was playing its first game together.

Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall

The Nets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime by a final score of 108-105 in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night. Brook Lopez and C.J. Watson each scored 19 points and led the way for the Nets in a game that showed a team whose versatility could make them one of the best in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

"We utilized all of our strengths," Avery Johnson said after the game. "Brook inside... Shooting on the perimeter with all three of our perimeter guys, posting up with Wallace and Joe. And Deron, obviously doing a little bit of everything."

And on the other side of the ball? "I was really pleased with how we were locked in defensively," he added.

After removing his starters late in the third quarter, Avery Johnson saw his second unit squander what was a 15-point fourth quarter lead. To win the game, the Nets needed an overtime period and—with 27 seconds remaining on the game clock—a 16-foot jump shot from Andray Blatche.

Although preseason games don't count for much, this game, counts for something.

Coming into tonight's game, coach Johnson let it be known that he believed that his players needed to get acclimated to playing with one another and planned on using this game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

And if tonight was a test for the Nets starters, they probably would have received somewhere between an A and an A-minus.

The Nets played the first quarter at a relentless pace but were able to hold the 76ers to just 17 points. Defensively, Kris Humphries showed and recovered on pick-and-rolls and both Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez didn't miss defensive assignments and rotations.

On the offensive end, Williams shouldered the load after Johnson was forced to the bench after picking up his second personal foul with 5:31 remaining. Williams made a conscious effort to push the ball up the floor and the Nets were able to get quick buckets.

In the second quarter, however, the Nets were able to slow the pace of the game down and feature Brook Lopez in the interior. Playing with C.J. Watson and Mirza Teletovic, Lopez was featured in the post and scored 10 points in the second quarter alone.

And in the third quarter, once Johnson was reinserted, he and Williams alternated as ball-handlers on pick-and-rolls and found one another for open, uncontested three-pointers. The duo had synergy and hardly resembled a pairing that was playing its first game together.

After the game, Joe Johnson had an explanation. "The thing about us, I think, is that we all are a little different," he said. "We don't do the same things on the court." According to him, that allows the Nets to effectively play off of one another.

By the end of the third quarter, the Nets opened up a 15-point lead and were comfortably ahead, 79-64. By early in the fourth quarter, Johnson removed all of his starters and allowed his second unit to determine the outcome of the game. C.J. Watson, Carleton Scott, Josh Childress, Mirza Teletovic, and Andray Blatche played most of the fourth quarter and overtime, and they allowed the Sixers to erase the deficit.

For the Sixers, Nick Young led a spirited rally in the final quarter of regulation. In the fourth, he scored 15 points and helped to force overtime. But in the decisive period, Blatche—after struggling for most of the night—put the Nets ahead for good when his 16-foot jumper gave them a 106-105 lead with 27 seconds to play.

Nick Young would miss his final two shots and C.J. Watson's made a pair of free-throws to seal the game.

Although the Nets second unit left a bit to be desired, the cohesiveness and chemistry that the first unit showed was evident to all in attendance. Williams and Johnson each barked instructions on offense, while Wallace and Humphries effectively gave directives on the defensive end.

Though the Sixers were playing without two of its starters in Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson, Saturday night's result is a positive that the Nets can build on.

"This was a good first game for us," Deron Williams said after the game. "There were a lot of positives."

For the Nets, Johnson scored 13 points, going 5-9 from the field, while Williams recorded 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.

The Nets will have Sunday off before they experience yet another first—this one, the first NBA game played in Barclays Center. Beginning at 7:30pm on Monday night, the Nets will battle the Washington Wizards and will have the opportunity to show that tonight's positive result was not an aberration.

Moke Hamilton is the Executive Editor of SNYNets.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MokeHamilton, and be sure to follow @SNYNetsfor the latest on the Brooklyn Nets.

Eric Chemi of CNBC joins Daily News Live to discuss the legalization of sports gambling and the ramifications of this newly amended bill.

The United States Supreme Court struck down a 25-year old law on Monday that had basically prevented all states except Nevada from having legalized sports gambling. "The legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not ours to make," the Supreme Court announced. "Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each State is free to act on its own."

The ruling was an enormous immediate victory for the state of New Jersey, which could have a gambling venue open in Monmouth Park within a few weeks, according to the NY Post. There will be a press conference in Monmouth Park Monday at 1 p.m. Aside from New Jersey, The Post notes that New York and Illinois are among roughly 15 other states who have "introduced bills to legalize and regulate sports betting tied to the Supreme Court outcome."

The NBA and MLB have been preparing for Monday's potential outcome, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who said each league had hired lobbying firms, submitted written statements, and sent executives to testify in statehouses. Windhorts added that every professional sports league had been involved, with the NBA and MLB at the forefront...

Nets can't finish season on high note with 110-97 loss to Celtics

Apr 11 | 11:00PM

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(David Butler II)

BOSTON (AP) Aron Baynes led a short-handed Boston lineup with a career-best 26 points and 14 rebounds, carrying the Celtics to a 110-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in the regular season finale.

The Celtics are 3-0 against Brooklyn this season, but the three wins have been by a total of 12 points -- and Irving was the leading scorer in each of the three games. >> Read more

"Things are maybe turning that corner that we wanted to get a little early in the season, but it's better late than never," Allen Crabbe said after his career-high 41 points led his team to a 114-105 win over the Chicago Bulls Monday night.

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Crabbe scores career-high 41 points in 114-105 win over Bulls

Apr 9 | 9:55PM

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(Andy Marlin)

Nets SG Allen Crabbe dropped a career-high 41 points to lead Brooklyn over the Bulls, 114-105, for their second straight win over Chicago. >> Box Score

NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets often shoot 3-pointers but not necessarily at a record pace.

After making a franchise-record 24 3-pointers on Saturday, the Nets attempt to produce another good showing from behind the arc Monday night when they host the Chicago Bulls in the second game of a home-and-home set.

The Nets average 35.5 attempts from 3-point range and are making 35.6 percent of their attempts heading into their final home game. The Nets increased their percentage from behind the arc by making 24 of 55 in Saturday's 124-96 rout at Chicago. >> Read more

MILWAUKEE (AP) Allen Crabbe scored 25 points and hit two 3-pointers in the closing minutes of a tight game, and the Brooklyn Nets shot 48 percent from behind the arc to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-111 on Thursday night.

The sharpshooting Nets were 19 of 39 from 3-point range, dealing a blow to the Bucks' hopes of moving up from the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Crabbe was clutch by hitting two of his five 3s over the final three minutes, the second coming with 1:18 left to give the Nets a six-point lead that sent Bucks fans to the exits.

MILWAUKEE -- Thanks to the Detroit Pistons' loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks will take to the court Thursday against Brooklyn assured of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Where the Bucks will be seeded and ultimately who they'll face when the postseason begins remains to be season, leaving plenty to play for over the final four games of the regular season.

Those four games also give forward Jabari Parker chances to build up his strength as he continues his return from ACL surgery in February.

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Nets blown out by 76ers, 121-95

Apr 3 | 10:08PM

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Apr 3, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Marco Belinelli (18) shoots during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won the game 121-95. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports (John Geliebter)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) J.J. Redick scored 19 points and Ben Simmons had 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their 11th straight victory, 121-95 over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.

The question of whether the Philadelphia 76ers can survive without Joel Embiid has been answered with a resounding yes as they take an NBA-best 10-game winning streak into Tuesday night's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.

Isaiah Whitehead underwent successful wrist surgery Tuesday

Apr 3 | 2:15PM

Whitehead sprained his wrist last week, and upon further examination, the Nets realized he needed surgery to repair the ligament.

The 23-year-old jumped back and forth between the Nets and G League Long Island Nets this season. He averaged 22.3 points, 3.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and shot 45 percent from the field in 30 games with Long Island this season.

MIAMI (AP) Caris Levert scored with about a half-minute left in overtime to put Brooklyn up for good, Dwyane Wade missed on a play where he thought he got fouled at the buzzer and the Nets beat the Miami Heat 110-109 on Saturday night.

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Former Net Kidd to be inducted in Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Mar 29 | 10:20PM

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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd looks to the scoreboard during Game 3 of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Chicago Bulls Thursday, April 23, 2015, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash) (Aaron Gash/AP)

Former Nets guard Jason Kidd is expected to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Kidd played six-and-a-half seasons of his 19-year career with the Nets and was an All-Star each one of his first three. Kidd led the Nets to back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in his first two seasons.

He was a 10-time All-Star, the 1994-95 Rookie of the Year, NBA champion with the Mavericks in 2010, and ranks second all-time in assists (12,091).

Kidd went into coaching after retiring, becoming the head coach of the Nets in 2013. After spending one season there and leading the Nets to a playoff series victory, he transitioned to Milwaukee as the Bucks head coach. However, he was fired midway this season after the team posted a 23-22 record.

NEW YORK (AP) - Dwight Howard had 32 points and 30 rebounds, becoming the first player with a 30-30 game against the Nets since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978, and the Charlotte Hornets stormed back to beat Brooklyn 111-105 on Wednesday night.

Kemba Walker scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, who trailed by as many 23 points in the second half to win in front of an announced crowd of 10,231 at Barclay Center while a heavy snowfall outside blanketed the New York City area.

Trailing 105-102 with 2:14 left in regulation, the Hornets went on a 9-0 run to pull off the impressive comeback. >> Read more

NEW YORK -- In their last two games, the Brooklyn Nets made enough plays in the fourth quarter and won.

If they get into a close game Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center and make the plays on both ends in the fourth quarter, the Nets will be on their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Brooklyn (23-48) won consecutive games for the fifth time this season Monday when it held off the Memphis Grizzlies for a 118-115 victory. The Nets outscored the Grizzlies 31-21 in the final 12 minutes, doing so after limiting the Dallas Mavericks to 17 points in the fourth on Saturday. >> Read more

Nets, Grizzlies battle for rare consecutive win

Mar 19 | 5:44PM

Taking satisfaction in the results of games has been difficult to accept for the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets in recent weeks.

Especially the Grizzlies.

Only one team will leave Barclays Center Monday night feeling good about getting a win when the Grizzlies visit the Nets.

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Nets hold on to beat Mavericks, 114-106

Mar 17 | 10:56PM

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(Andy Marlin)

NEW YORK (AP) Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 23 points, D'Angelo Russell had 22 and the Brooklyn Nets recovered after blowing a double-digit lead to beat the Dallas Mavericks 114-106 on Saturday night.

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Nets take heartbreaking loss to Sixers, 120-116

Mar 16 | 9:40PM

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(Bill Streicher)

NEW YORK (AP) Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors won their ninth straight and 16th of 17, 116-102 over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Joel Embiid had 24 points and a career-high 19 rebounds and Robert Covington hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 35.4 seconds left to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 120-116 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 21 points for the Nets (21-48), who lost their third straight and 19th in the last 22 games.

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Tonight's game: Nets at 76ers, 7:00 p.m.

Mar 16 | 6:00PM

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(Noah K. Murray)

Brooklyn is coming off a 116-102 loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. D'Angelo Russell led all scorers with 32 points -- his second straight game with at least 25 -- and the Nets led at the half, but the Raptors went on a run behind Jonas Valanciunas and handed Brooklyn its third straight loss and 17th in its last 20 games. >> Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Allen Crabbe made his first six 3-point attempts and finished with 29 points and eight rebounds, helping the Brooklyn Nets beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-111 on Thursday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Caris Levert scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 18 points and 12 rebounds to provide a spark off the bench for the Nets. They entered the game tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Kemba Walker had 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting for the Hornets. They've lost five straight games.

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Tonight's game: Nets at Hornets, 7 p.m.

Mar 8 | 6:10PM

Teetering on the edge of playoff elimination following a rugged stretch of four games, the Charlotte Hornets begin a favorable turn in their schedule when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

The Hornets lost for the fourth straight time Tuesday, 128-114 to the Philadelphia 76ers. They are six games behind the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, who are tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference and occupy the final two playoff spots.

Those four losses -- while costly -- were hardly unpredictable for Charlotte, which went up against the 76ers twice and Boston and Toronto once apiece over a seven-day span.

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Nets can't contain Curry in 114-101 loss to Warriors

Mar 7 | 12:46AM

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(Jeff Chiu)

For the second time this season, the Nets challenged the defending-champion Warriors. However, just like the first time, Golden State emerged victorious in the end.

Steph Curry rode a hot shooting night, including six made threes, to 34 points as the Warriors held off the Nets, 114-101, at Oracle Arena.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors will seek a 50th win for the fifth consecutive season Tuesday night when they open a two-game homestand against the Brooklyn Nets.

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Nets' latest heartbreak leaves Atkinson baffled: 'We have to do a better job'

Mar 5 | 5:00PM

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(Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Yet another hard-fought comeback crumbled before the eyes of the Nets in their 123-120 road loss to the Clippers Sunday night.

Down virtually the entire game, the Nets battled back from a 15-point deficit at one point to take a commanding 118-110 lead with about two-and-a-half minutes to play. That was all for nothing, though, as the Clippers rallied for a 13-2 run to finish the game, and send the Nets packing without a win.

"Yeah, very discouraging. We couldn't make the plays to put it away," Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson told The Post's Brian Lewis after the loss. "The hardest thing in professional sports is to close out a game. That's where we're at right now with our ability to close it out. We're not there yet. We've been in a lot of games like this. We have to do a better job."

The Nets trailed essentially from the opening tip on Sunday night. Despite an inspired comeback and career-night from Caris LeVert, they finished the night trailing as well.

LeVert scored a career-high 27 points and assisted on five baskets, but the Nets lost to the Clippers, 123-120, after a go-ahead three-pointer by Austin Rivers. The Nets have lost three straight since ending an eight-game losing streak to begin the week.

Nets face playoff-dreaming Clippers on the road

Mar 4 | 5:46PM

Two days after the Los Angeles Clippers took down the team from Manhattan, they will work on conquering the one from Brooklyn.

When the Clippers handled the New York Knicks 128-105 on Friday at Staples Center, it kept them knocking on the door of playoff eligibility in the Western Conference as the division's ninth-place team.

An opportunity against the Nets (20-43) on Sunday could move the Clippers even closer to the playoffs.

Nets come up short against Fox, Kings in 116-111 overtime loss

Mar 2 | 12:01AM

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(AP)

DeMarre Carroll scored 22 points and Jarrett Allen had a career-high 16 points along with a double-double, but it wasn't enough as the Nets fell to the Kings, 116-111, in overtime Thursday night on the West Coast.

Carroll tied the game with a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left in regulation and Spencer Dinwiddie then got to the line to hit two free throws, but De'Aaron Fox forced overtime with a floater as time expired and then proceeded to star in the single period of extra time. Dinwiddie had eight points and five assists in the loss.

The Nets were outscored, 16-11, in overtime. With the loss, the Nets dropped to 20-43 on the season and have now lost 14 of their last 16 games. Brooklyn is 0-5 in overtime games this season.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Neither the Sacramento Kings nor the Brooklyn Nets have been caught up in the controversial conversations concerning the race by the dregs of the NBA to lose games. Yet, neither team seems capable anytime soon of winning more than just an occasional contest.

On Thursday, one of them will have to prevail. The two bottom feeders in their respective conferences face each other at the Golden 1 Center, giving each a chance to add a blip to what has seemed to be endless losing lately.

Sacramento has lost four straight at home, and Brooklyn has dropped seven straight on the road. >> Read more

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James scored 31 points and finished a month averaging a triple-double for the first time in his career, and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 129-123 on Tuesday night.

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Tonight's game: Nets vs. Cavaliers, 7 p.m.

Feb 27 | 6:15PM

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(Brad Penner)

CLEVELAND -- The Brooklyn Nets represent an important opportunity for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, and not just because of the draft pick.

Nets' Whitehead named in report detailing NCAA benefits

Feb 23 | 8:39AM

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Brooklyn Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead looks on during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. (Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports)

Current Nets and former Seton Hall guard Isaiah Whitehead was listed among numerous current and former college basketball players who reportedly received impermissible benefits and met with an agent while in school, Yahoo! Sports' Pat Forde and Pete Thamel report.

The report also lists 2017 draft picks Markelle Fultz, Dennis Smith Jr. and Kyle Kuzma, and many other current and former players from schools like Texas, Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky.

Whitehead reportedly received $26,136 from the agency ASM Sports while he was a freshman at Seton Hall. Another document says he received $37,657 and was being set up for a payment plan, Yahoo! reports.